snub
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to treat with disdain or contempt, especially by ignoring.
- Synonyms:
- slight
-
to check or reject with a sharp rebuke or remark.
-
to check or stop suddenly (a rope or cable that is running out).
-
to check (a boat, an unbroken horse, etc.) by means of a rope or line made fast to a fixed object.
-
to pull up or stop abruptly in such a manner.
noun
-
an act or instance of snubbing.
-
an affront, slight, or rebuff.
-
a sudden check given to a rope or cable running out, a moving boat, or the like.
adjective
-
(of the nose) short and turned up at the tip.
verb
-
to insult (someone) deliberately
-
to stop or check the motion of (a boat, horse, etc) by taking turns of a rope or cable around a post or other fixed object
noun
-
a deliberately insulting act or remark
-
nautical
-
an elastic shock absorber attached to a mooring line
-
( as modifier )
a snub rope
-
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of snub
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English snubben, from Old Norse snubba “to scold, reprimand”; cognate with Middle Low German snūben
Explanation
To snub is to ignore or refuse to acknowledge someone. If you want to snub your former best friend, you can refuse to even look at her when you pass in the hallway. When you snub someone, you deliver an insult by pretending to not even notice someone that you know. There’s an element of disdain and rejection to a snub, as if you’re too good to even acknowledge the person. As a noun, a snub is that act of cold rejection. Your former friend probably noticed the snub, and she’ll probably snub you from now on. Snub also means "very short," like the nose on a bulldog.
Vocabulary lists containing snub
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
And First Lady Melania Trump decided to stay at home, an unusual snub of such a high-level event.
From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026
The Oscars snub is a missed opportunity for more audiences to try to answer it.
From Slate • Mar. 13, 2026
Four years on from his snub for the US Olympic team, Malinin has revolutionised his sport and is poised for gold -- and stardom.
From Barron's • Feb. 12, 2026
Buffett offered kind words about Walmart’s potential to succeed, but the snub was motivating for company executives at the time, the person said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 3, 2026
Their pouty lips, doe-brown eyes, and snub noses were so alike, the twins were practically mirror images of each other.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
